Review of The Truman Show (1998) by David G — 15 May 2012

Oddball drama about an ordinary joe named Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) who is the oblivious star of a reality TV show that has been following his life literally since the womb. He's part of an artificial island community populated by actors and every aspect of his life is controlled - his fake job, his fake parents, even his carefully selected fake wife. After 38 years however, cracks in the facade have begun to appear and Truman begins to question his reality.

There's a lot to like and admire about The Truman Show - the fascinating premise, the stellar acting, the quirky satire (the stab at product placement is great), the wonderful score, the gripping finale - but some, like myself, may find it a little tough to buy what the movie is selling. Take the manufactured island of Seahaven for example - a self-contained world within a world complete with artificial day/night cycle and weather that actually exists within a mammoth dome in Hollywood that can be seen from space! Wowsers! We're also expected to buy a scripted childhood boating accident as the sole reason why Truman has never wanted to leave the island. It's just too hard to believe that you can fake an entire life for 38 YEARS without the subject realising something's up. "We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented." the show's creator Christof (Ed Harris) explains at one point. Oh, well I guess that's OK then. Also, why is the show so popular anyway? I mean it's a boring guy living a boring life! Yet after 38 long-ass years people worldwide are still obsessed with it to the point of insanity!

Anyway, I've harped on enough about the issues I have with what we DO see in the film, it's what we DON'T see that's the biggest problem. Do we see the tragic aftermath of a man realising that his entire life has been fake? That his parents, best friend and wife were all puppets? Nope. Do we see him in the real world? Nope. Do we really delve into the moral implications of keeping a human being captive in the name of entertainment? Nope. Do we take a good look behind the scenes of this fake world? Not really. Do the other residents of Seahaven live there full time? Does Truman's wife (Laura Linney) have a life outside of her fake one? I want to know more dammit!

So, The Truman Show. A film that's easy to like but tough to love. A missed opportunity.